Ouzo is the national drink of Greece, and it has quite an interesting history dating back to the 18th century.

Here’s a short lesson on what you need to know about Ouzo to become an honorary Greek.

History

Ouzo originates from Tirnavos in Greece, it came about in 1865 by distilling Tsipouro (Grappa). The first Ouzo distillery was opened by Nicolas Katsaros and it is still open today! Ouzo can now only be made in Greece and nowhere else, after receiving an EU-approved label of Protected Designation of Origin in 2006.

There are many well-known Ouzo brands but one with an interesting origin is Ouzo 12; this brand was born from the Kaloyiannis Distillery in 1880, when Ouzo was served direct from the barrels and customers would frequently request the Ouzo from “Barrel No. 12”.

How to drink Ouzo

Ouzo is often enjoyed ‘neat’, however it is commonly served with ice, with a dash of water, or both. How it is consumed is purely down to personal preference.

At Atmos, we will serve a shot of Ouzo in a glass, accompanied by a small bucket of ice and small carafe of chilled water on the side, so you can choose your own experience.

In Greece, a single serve of Ouzo is often enjoyed over several hours, slowly adding ice and water as desired. Traditionally enjoyed in the afternoon over a ‘meze’ of bread, cheese, olives etc., or a game of backgammon.

We have four types of Ouzo to try at Atmos, check out the drinks menu here.

Yia Mas!